Dowling announces candidacy

By Matthew Bernat
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE – Finance committee member Mary Dowling says she is running for the board of selectmen to see the town through the Master Plan process, various capital projects, development opportunities and to offer voters a choice in the April election.
She is the second candidate to emerge, seeking the seat currently held by Harold White. The first candidate, James Ehrhard, announced his intention to run in January.
“It’s a very exciting time for Sturbridge,” Dowling said. “There are some major projects underway in various stages of completion…Both (candidates) are qualified, but it is important to give residents a choice, particularly with the board of selectmen.”
The deadline for submitting nomination papers has passed. The town election will be Monday, April 12 from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Voting will take place in Burgess Elementary School’s south gymnasium.
Dowling was a political science and economics major in college having interned for former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas. Currently, she works with the American Arbitration Association. Her career is focused on alternative dispute resolution between parties. She said her experience as an arbitrator would serve her well if elected.
“I can bring that objectivity to the board of selectmen. It’s very important to be fair to everyone,” she said.
As the town’s executive branch, it is the selectmen’s duty to enforce the bylaws in a fair and even handed manner, Dowling said. She noted that people who appear before the board should be able to expect to receive due process in all cases. She said she would bring that mind-set to the board.
“The board’s goal should always be to reach a consensus. That’s how the town moves forward,” Dowling said.
Originally from Southbridge, Dowling moved to town in 1995 with her husband after living in New Hampshire. This selectmen run is not her first foray into local politics.
In 2006, she ran for the same board losing the second open seat by five votes. Instead of bowing out of town politics she joined the finance committee.
There, she helped shape the dialogue that would eventually lead to the committee recommending town meeting warrant articles favoring the Burgess Elementary School renovation; the town hall and center school reconstruction and improvements to create a higher capacity wastewater treatment facility. She also favored moving forward with creating a new master plan and spending money on a design review for recreational fields. That was long overdue, she said.
“I’m proud of all those votes,” Dowling said. Her time on the finance committee also made her familiar with the town’s budget process, she said. She also noted the various capital improvements will result in higher taxes.
Maintaining a reasonable tax rate is a challenge for any town, she said. It’s important to attract new growth to offset those increases. However, consideration also needs to be made for what type of development the town seeks to attract, she said.
“The key is to strike a balance between sustainable growth on one hand and the desire to protect the qualities that brought residents to establish their roots in Sturbridge in the first place,” she said. To that end, she supports returning the town to a single tax rate.
She also would like to focus on what results the master plan committee finds after a year of gathering information. Depending on what direction residents want to see Sturbridge head, she favors introducing warrant articles at town meeting to reflect the wishes of the town.
For more information on Dowling visit her campaign Web site at: www.dowlingmary.com.www.dowlingmary.com